Prisoner in your Arms
by LadySteph
Summary: Meryl Vash - While in the middle of another arguement a mysterious woman shows up asking Meryl for help. Can Meryl prove herself when the tables are turned and she's the aspiring hero?
1. Late in to the Night

^_^  
  
Chapter 1  
  
( A/N ) Hello! My name is Steph. *Blinks* ugh . . . and my evil army of rabid polar bears are going to . . . DEVOUR THE EARTH! Bwuahahaha! . . . not really, just don't really know what to say. I'm not sure where this fic is heading. I just wrote the first chapter, no plot really . . . hopefully one will develop. *Shrugs* If not then I'll jump off a bridge for being a loser. ^_^- Or you can spare my life by giving me an idea or two for this fic. *Puppy eyes*  
  
Disclaimers - I'm only doing this once. I do not own Trigun or any of it's characters. I just twist their lives to entice my own sick fantasies . . . *Evil grin*  
  
~*~  
  
-= Vash the Stampede .=-  
  
-= . . . a precise gunman . . . an enigma . . . ugh! I can't think! =-  
  
Meryl lifted her head slowly; tiny sweatbullets dripping slowly down her forehead. In the background were drunken noises of mayhem. Vash had gone in to another of his stupors and had brought Millie along with him. How was Meryl supposed to finish typing her report if she couldn't concentrate?!  
  
"Sempai, you should really try this!" Millie sang loudly through the little space they had paid for. It wasn't even large enough to be called a 'room'. More like a rip-off . . . It held two beds, a couch, two tables, a closet, and a tiny kitchenette. That wasn't even the worst part of it. They were forced to share it with the notorious Humanoid Typhoon.  
  
"No that's quite alright Millie, you enjoy," she replied in a forced, chipper voice. Again she stared at the type writer as if it was a tool of evil instead of a necessary piece of equipment.  
  
Millie just shrugged her wide shoulders when her partner went back to work and offered more of the liquid poison to 'Mr. Vash'. He didn't refuse the offer and gleefully poured more than his fair share of the alcohol in to his mouth. That famous tie of his was hanging loosely around his tall crown of spikes.  
  
"Don't be such a stiff, Strife," Vash pouted through the bubbling water that hung from the corner of his mouth. "Here!" Without another word he grabbed the back of Meryl's chair and tilted it back. Meryl's heart pounded rapidly as she was brought face to face with her capture.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she fumed as he met her with one of his famous smiles.  
  
"You really need to loosen up," he said through a cat like smile and pulled her further back. The legs of the chair stood on two and wobbled horribly as Meryl struggled to meet gravity again. She let out a yell but it was muffled by the beer he dumped in to her mouth. The bitter liquid swished around violently in her mouth as he let go of the chair and danced over to Millie, who had already brought out another bottle.  
  
Meryl wipe at her mouth furiously and started typing like a madman.  
  
-= . . . and all idiot! =-  
  
~*~  
  
Meryl shook her head in amusement at the two drunkards. Honestly, she didn't know how Millie could hold all that beer in and still be okay. She lay peacefully in her bed without a care in the world; enveloped in her dreams. The only evidence that there had been liquor was the faint smell that clung to her long hair.  
  
Vash on the other hand . . .  
  
"Ugh. I don't feel so good," Vash whined as he held his head and stomach at the same time. His spiked hair started to slowly lose it's hold and halfway tumbled down his face. His eyes were unfocused and his body was limp and loose. "Make it stop," he continued to cry.  
  
Meryl tapped her foot against the wooden floor in irritation. "Well what did you think would happen after drinking so much?"  
  
The gentle tapping of her boot sent loud vibrations through Vash's ears and straight in to his brain. "Could you stop that?" he pouted as he threw his head back against the couch. "It feels as if you're shooting daggers in to my brain."  
  
"You're lucky I'm not shooting more than that!" she fumed as she walked toward the dresser to retrieve her night shirt. "I swear, you have nothing better to do than chase skirts and make a fool of yourself."  
  
Vash scowled and stared at her. "Better than sitting in front of a type writer all day and bitching at everyone."  
  
"What?" Meryl yelled loudly. Sure, work did take up a lot of her spare time but how was she ever to finish anything she started when HE was around to screw it up?!  
  
Vash instantly knew he had overstepped that line . . . again. Meryl was a complex creature. A puzzle that was difficult to put together. ( Mostly because she hid half of the pieces . . . ) "I didn't say anything!" he cried melodramatically; frantically waving his arms.  
  
Meryl gave him that 'humph' sound and turned away from him. "Whatever, at least I do something productive with the time I have."  
  
Vash sighed heavily and lowered his head. "I do productive stuff," he whined in a child like voice.  
  
"Like what?" Meryl asked while stepping behind the closet door.  
  
Vash's eyebrow rose as he heard the soft rustling of clothing. "Like promoting the virtues of love and peace," he said absentmindedly, inching over slightly on the couch.  
  
Meryl dug her fingers in to her boots and pulled them off. "Like that helps anyone."  
  
"It does . . ." Again he inched over; his head tilting slowly to access a better view. What he got was an eyeful of Meryl's boot as it flew across the room and kissed him in the face. "Ouch! You're so mean!"  
  
Meryl chuckled to herself quietly. He really didn't know when to quit. Maybe that was part of his charm. He seemed like such a child at times; arrogant and quick to make trouble whenever possible. With another hidden snicker she changed in to her nightshirt.  
  
Her tired feet felt ridiculously wonderful against the warm floor after being cooped up inside her boots all day. When she stepped out from behind the closet door she was met by the scandalous red coat bandit. He stood at attention and held out her boot. "I do believe this belongs to you," he said in a scornful voice. He slowly opened his right eye and gave her a glare.  
  
"Do you want a 'thank you'?" she said with a sarcastic grin.  
  
Vash let out a deep breath and slumped over. "No," he pouted, "but that did really hurt."  
  
The sarcasm in her smile faded and she stifled a small laugh. She instantly regretted it. Vash stared at her as if she were a foreign creature. "What?" she demanded.  
  
Vash was really at a lose for words; which didn't happen often. Ever since he had known the insurance girl he had an instant attachment to her. It was an odd sort of fascination. Sure, she was bossy and bitchy and sometimes just out right cruel but under that cold exterior was something warmer. Something she tried to hide from him. He had seen it a few times already and when he did witness the change he has always awestruck. She reminded him so much of Rem. Always soft spoken and wise in her words.  
  
Somehow, just witnessing her smile genuinely made him think of how special she really was. She had always been there for him, even when he didn't want her to be. She made things stir inside of him that he hadn't felt in a long time and he didn't know if he liked it or not. Perhaps that's why he was always hiding from her as well.  
  
The silence grew to uncomfortable proportions as he continued observing her. Meryl shifted under his stare and a small blush crept up her neck and tickled her ears.  
  
"Sorry, but I just couldn't help but notice that you don't laugh enough," he stated simply.  
  
"And what does that mean?" she raged; instantly taking the remark as an insult.  
  
He shook his head with a smile still plastered on his long face. "What I meant was that it suits you well. It makes you look more youthful."  
  
Meryl blush deepened at his words. What was she to say to that? What could she say? He had just given her a compliment, something he didn't do much of to her. Maybe that was because she was usually chasing after him with some large object or another.  
  
When she just stood there in silence Vash started worrying. "Uh . . . hello?" he sang quietly; waving his gloved hand in front of her.  
  
Meryl jumped back in to reality and replaced her placid look with another frown. She couldn't let herself be caught off guard by his ridiculous observations. She quickly turned on the ball of her foot and headed toward the other bed in the room.  
  
Vash was left standing in the middle of the room in complete confusion. He quickly did the math in his head. "Hey," he whined, "where am I supposed to sleep?"  
  
Meryl cut him a look as she pulled the sheets over her stomach and nestled her head in to the soft pillow. Well, the pillow wasn't THAT soft but it was better than sleeping on the ground. Meryl said nothing but pointed at the couch instead.  
  
Vash sighed. "That's so cold . . ."  
  
~*~  
  
Meryl couldn't sleep. It didn't matter how hard she tried. There were to many thoughts rumbling around in her head to enjoy a peaceful night's sleep. With a yawn she got out of bed and headed toward the kitchenette. Perhaps a glass of water would help calm her destructive mind.  
  
Millie's light snore rumbled gently through the room. However, there was another sound that mingled in the air. It was the deep, steady breathing of Meryl's OTHER roommate. Her eyes caught hold of the intruder.  
  
He had already changed and was fast asleep on the couch. Meryl felt a twinge of guilt as she continued to observe him. The only thing protecting him from the slight chill in the air were his night clothes. Apparently he didn't feel brave enough to ask her for a blanket. For that she scolded him as he slept. Of course, if he HAD asked her for a blanket he probably would have been met with a long lecture about something or another. He figured his best bet was sleeping in the cold rather than sleeping with a bump on his head.  
  
With a grumble Meryl continued her walk to the kitchen. The emptied beer bottle were carelessly thrown everywhere. A small twitch appeared under her eye as she bent over to clean up the mess that the drunks had made. After that job was complete she fixed herself a small glass of water and finished her journey by heading back to bed.  
  
However, she, again, was stopped by the wanna-be-Prince-Charming. Meryl leaned her petite body against the table and watched him. 'What is it about you?' Meryl asked him silently. 'I'm not sure what it is but there's just something about you that makes me want to protect you.' She sighed lightly as her eyes traveled from his mused hair down to the slender curve of his lips. It was quite amusing. Half the bullshit he spilt from those lips actually made sense, not that Meryl would ever admit that to anyone.  
  
She retrieved one of the extra blankets from her bed and covered Vash with it. He instantly shifted his body and fell on his back. Meryl cursed him for this because now she had perfect access to those lips of his. She had always wondered how they felt. In her dreams those lips were soft yet rough at the same time.  
  
Without thinking she brought her fingers down to play with the firm jawbone that encased his face. A small stubble had already started to grow around his chin. His skin was surprisingly soft. Meryl couldn't help but stifle a small smile as her fingertips roamed lightly over his features. It was amazing how many sides there were to him. Would she ever see all of them?  
  
Instantly she drew her hand back as if she had been burnt by his flesh. Meryl scolded herself deeply. What the hell did she think she was doing?! With an onslaught of curses she carried herself and her pathetic fantasies to bed.  
  
~*~  
  
The first hints of sunlight poured in to the room and danced on Meryl's tired face. She didn't get a wink of sleep all night. She grumbled some more as she pulled back the covers and lightly strolled over to the window. With a little tug she yanked the blinds open to reveal that it was indeed mid morning.  
  
"Millie," Meryl said through tired morning tears, "it's time to get up."  
  
Millie mumbled something incoherent and pulled the sheets over her head. Meryl frowned at her companions lack of get-up-and-go. She marched over to Millie's bed and pulled at the sheets. Her efforts were to no avail as Millie held on to the blankets tightly and continued to lightly snore.  
  
Meryl hung her head in defeat. Fine, she'd let Millie sleep a little longer. This would give her a chance to finish that letter to her boss anyway. She scurried over to her type writer while wiping away the sand from her eyes. However, she was stopped halfway to the table. Her eyes quickly observed the scene that played out in front of her.  
  
Vash sat on the couch with his legs folded and his eyes closed. Apparently he was meditating, something Meryl never suspected HE would do. She stood silently and watched him, the feelings that had stirred her last night returned to haunt her.  
  
His hair had finally toppled over and covered most of his forehead. His rumpled shirt loosely fell over his chest as it rose steadily with each even breath he took. He seemed so . . . different. Almost as if he were at complete peace. Sadly enough, it didn't last very long.  
  
A blush crept up Meryl's neck and attacked her cheeks as one of his aqua filled eyes opened to stare at her. His mouth curled in to a cat like smile. "Good morning."  
  
Meryl blinked rapidly and calmly walked in to the small kitchen area. "Yeah, what's so good about it?"  
  
Vash shook his head in disbelief. What the hell was her problem now? "You don't have to be so pessimistic, you know."  
  
Meryl's eye twitched at his statement. It was true. She was acting a little more uptight than usual. When she met Vash her life was practical but now is was nothing less than chaos. Is that why she was on edge? No, she could adapt to odd happenings and violent gunfights. What she couldn't adapt to was the blonde haired devil that sat lazily on the couch. He seemed to bring out the worst in her. She, by nature, a caring, gentle person but somehow her blood always heated up when she was around him.  
  
Perhaps it was because she was ridiculously attracted to him. She wasn't quite sure when it happened or if it 'just happened' at any time at all. Maybe she was drawn to him the first moment she saw him tied up in the desert. She didn't know or care. She didn't want to have feelings for the buffoon that plagued her life.  
  
While in the middle of pondering these things a pungent smell kissed her nose. "What's that smell?" she asked no one in particular.  
  
Vash made the O.o look and let out a holler. "My muffins!"  
  
Meryl blinked in confusion. His muffins? 'Oh no . . . he tried to cook!' Meryl quickly grabbed the pot holder and opened the oven door. Sure enough there laid eight burnt muffins.  
  
Meryl let out a calm sigh. Maybe a little too calm; Vash sensed the danger that clung to Meryl's body. "What kind of idiot are you?!" she yelled as she grabbed a nearby pot and started walking toward him with it.  
  
"Ah! Don't hurt me scary lady!" Vash yelled in fear. He quickly jumped up from the couch and cowered  
  
Millie, who was wakened by the loud antics, looked around in confusion. "Good morning Mr. Vash," she started until she caught a whiff of breakfast, "is someone cooking a shoe?"  
  
Vash rose his hand like a kindergarten student as he dodged another of Meryl's swings.  
  
"Is the fire supposed to be rampaging out of control like that?" Millie asked no one in particular.  
  
Both Meryl and Vash stopped their fight and stared at the kitchen. The muffins weren't the only things burning.  
  
"Shit!" they both cried in unison as another normal morning drifted by.  
  
~*~  
  
( A/ N ) Eh. I'm not sure if I'm feelin' this or not. It's not that I HATE it but . . . it just feels like it's missing something. *Cough* A plot! *Cough* So anyway, let me know what you think. ( If you haven't noticed, all reviews and comments are welcomed and greatly appreciated! ^^; )  
  
And I'll say it again. YOU . . . *Points at reader* . . . YES! I mean you there, sitting at your computer and whatnot . . . have ANY suggestions of ideas for this fic I'd love to hear them. Considering that my brain only works half the time . . . ^_^-  
  
Thanks for Reading! ^_^-  
  
~*~  
  
End of Chapter 1! =1_^= 


	2. A new face and a few interesting events

^_^-  
  
Chapter 2  
  
*Waves happily* I love all of you soooo much! I never imagined receiving so many reviews! ^_^- *Blushes lightly* I guess I must be doing something right then, huh? Again, THANK you so much! I'm not a very secure person ( heh, what was your first clue? ) so getting such wonderful feedback gives me the courage to continue writing. I hope your kindness doesn't prove in vain! *Points dramatically* See? I posted Chapter 2 and guess what!?!?! I actually figured out a plot. *Grins* Things will get interesting, that's for sure.  
  
~*~  
  
Millie whistled innocently as her hand crept in to the red box of doughnuts. Instantly Vash cried out in frustration and pulled the delicious treats tight to his body. "Mine!" he yelled out.  
  
Millie frowned. "You should really share, Mr. Vash," she stated simply, again attempting to grab one from the box. She was met with the same results.  
  
"Mine!"  
  
Out of nowhere Meryl struck him in the head with her fist and he dropped the box. "I agree, you should share . . ."  
  
Vash gave a little whine as a huge bump appeared on his head and he saw Millie pop the dough in her mouth and lick her lips in approval. Then she handed the box back to the saddened bandit. "Thank you!"  
  
"Don't mention it," Vash muttered angrily.  
  
"And thank you Meryl! That was good!"  
  
Vash instantly turned his pouts in to a wide smile. "Yeah, thanks a lot!"  
  
"Don't mention it," Meryl muttered.  
  
Meryl cut Vash a dirty look as she met his wistful smile. Well, whatever smile there was hidden behind the doughnuts he had rumbling inside his mouth at the moment. "These sure are great!" he half sang, half choked.  
  
Meryl hid her blush through her rude onslaught of curses. "It's not like I had a choice in the matter. We had to eat something since SOMEONE ruined breakfast."  
  
Vash held up his hands in surrender. "I already spent the last two hours apologizing, aren't you ever going to let it go?"  
  
Meryl gave him a rough, 'humph' and turned away from him. "Not a chance." Then she reached over and snatched the box away from him. "Because of you we were kicked out of our rooms so now we have to find somewhere else to stay." She reached inside to grab a fattening pastry for herself but when she did she found the box to be missing from her hands. She made a funny face as she tried to figure out what happened to the treats.  
  
Vash placed his hand behind his head and grinned. "Well, you could just go back home and I could continue my journey of peace and love PEACEFULLY." Hidden behind him was the box, resting on one of his raised legs. It didn't take him a second longer before he kicked the box up and grabbed it for himself. He gave her a charming smirk as he fumbled around the box for more of his favorite deliquesces.  
  
Meryl's temple flickered violently from the headache playing in her mind. "What did you say?" She attempted to pound him in the head but he easily dodged her attacks.  
  
"You're getting slow!" he laughed until his eyes caught hold of the most beautiful human specimen he had ever seen. Instantly his mouth dropped and Meryl's fist made clear contact with his skull.  
  
Vash didn't even recognize the sharp pain that enveloped his head. He was to awestruck by the gorgeous creature strolling toward them. His eyes continued to widen as she appeared closer and closer with every step her graceful feet took.  
  
Millie blinked in confusion. "Do you think he felt that?" Vash promptly fell over, kissing the sandy ground with his mouth still hanging open. Meryl nodded while holding her sore hand and Millie giggled quietly. "Are you alright Mr. Vash?"  
  
Vash jumped up and made a heroic pose; while frantically spitting out the grains of dirt. "How could I not be okay when I'm witnessing such a lovely vision?!" Then he noticed small Meryl with her eyes squinted together in a glare. She pressed her face close to his.  
  
"Give it up. You know you'll only end up embarrassing yourself."  
  
He made a funny face and pushed her aside. "Don't block the view," he grumbled.  
  
The muscles under Meryl's flesh tightened instantly. "What?!" However, Vash wasn't paying attention to the raged female.  
  
"Hello," he said in a deep, sultry voice; his eyes sparkling under the heat of the morning sun. "What brings such a fair lady, such as yourself, to grace the lonely men of the world with your presence?"  
  
The woman stifled an innocent giggle from under her wide brimmed hat. Vash's eyes roamed over her small form. The western styled dress captured her breast and pressed them together tightly around the top and squeezed her tiny waist but under that the dress hung loosely over her hips and down to the ground. The material she wore was a lovely shade of purple. She was a short woman but her gentle aura made her seem much taller. Needless to say, Vash was smitten.  
  
Meryl pushed Vash aside easily and raised an eyebrow at the face hidden in the shadows. "Hello, I am Meryl Strife." She pointed to her companion, "This is my partner Millie Thompson and THAT," she fumed politely while pointing at the still sparkling man, "is Vash the Stampede."  
  
As soon as the words caught her ears the woman gasped. "Is that true?" she asked, finally speaking. Vash grinned. Her voice rolled off her tongue like thick honey, "My, how interesting."  
  
"Yes, it is. I am Vash the Stampede, protector of the innocent, teacher of justice, and poet of love," he winked at her while posing in a manly manner. It didn't help that the bump from earlier still kissed his crown.  
  
The woman nodded and again her attention was drawn to the small, furious woman. "Are all of you traveling together?"  
  
Meryl started to explain her reasons for being there but Vash clamped his hand over her mouth before she could spill anything embarrassing. Meryl started struggling against him instantly but was soon forced to stop as he brought her tight against his body. Meryl's face blushed hotly as his fingers pressed in to her cheeks. "You don't want to ask her," he stated nervously. "She's not all there, if you know what I mean!" That of course was followed by one of his famous - outrageous laughs.  
  
'Who does he think he is?!' Meryl thought but it didn't take long until her attention wavered from her angry thoughts to the faint realization of how close he was to her. Even against the dry smell of the desert she could catch a small whiff of the soap that clung to his skin.  
  
"Actually, these two are more like groupies who WON'T go away," Vash explained, making it an effort to nudge Meryl with his arm. "What can I say? I'm a ladies' man."  
  
"But we're just doing our job, Mr. Vash," Millie quietly protested.  
  
Disgusted with Vash's antics, Meryl struggled twice as hard to escape his hug-of-silence but it all proved in vain and he didn't show any signs of concern. He didn't even seem to notice their awkward position.  
  
Of course, Vash DID notice. Especially when she shuttered ever so slightly in his arms. 'Uh-oh' he thought to himself. He knew he was in deep shit once this nice little event was over. As she tried to hit him again he felt the pressure of her breasts against her chest. 'Shit!'  
  
"They seem very nice," the woman chuckled.  
  
Vash, unnoticed by the woman, gave Meryl a wink. "Yes THEY sure are," he smirked. Meryl's eyes widened in shock when she realized her 'they' and his 'they' were two different things altogether. (A/N - Ah! Cute! - Thanks to my e-mail hero for this lil' fluff! - )  
  
"Pervert!" she yelled through his hand.  
  
Vash was in mid sentence, bragging about himself ironically, when he felt Meryl's lower half twitching against him. While it didn't affect his conversation with the heaven sent lady, it did distract his mind terribly. 'What does she think she's doing?' he silently freaked out. He took a deep breath as he realized that he could feel the warmth of her body even through his red coat. Consequently, he started noticing other nice things about their position. Somehow, his idle chit-chat with this woman became a little harder. ( ^_^- )  
  
Meryl cursed in her mind violently and she glared at him when he caught her eyes. His attention quickly reverted back to the woman standing in front of them. Meryl's eyes roamed until she noticed Millie standing behind Vash, quite dumbfounded by the whole turn of events. Meryl silently pleaded Millie for help.  
  
Millie caught on shortly after and brought her hand up to her mouth. Then she pressed her tongue against her inner palm and then softly bit it. Meryl's eyes widened in appreciation and shock. How was it that Millie always knew the answers?  
  
With a deep breath and a hell of a lot of courage she allowed her tongue to roam over Vash's inner palm. His eyes instantly watered over in tears but he refused to drop his hand.  
  
"So do you still have trouble with the whole bounty thing?" the woman was asking.  
  
Vash stared at her for a second, lost in the feeling of Meryl licking his flesh. Many interesting things came to mind. Everything but an answer for the woman that he was supposed to be charming. 'Answer her!' he yelled at himself.  
  
Vash cleared his throat, nudging Meryl again, desperately pleading for her to stop. "Well, yes, but that . . . that comes with the . . . ( Ah! Stop it already! ) . . . the . . ."  
  
The woman tilted her head, revealing a small portion of a pale kissed cheek. "With the what, Mr. Stampede?"  
  
Vash closed his eyes and regained complete concentration. "Why, the romance of course. The romance of being a lone bandit in the pursuit of love."  
  
Millie silently encourage Meryl to continue but Meryl didn't think to fondly of the idea. 'What is he rambling on about now?' she wondered as he chuckled nervously. 'Stupid skirt chaser.'  
  
A funny voice faintly laughed at her. 'Why Meryl, are you really upset by that or the fact that it isn't YOUR skirt he's chasing,' she asked herself. She didn't like herself to much at that moment and she didn't want to think about this right now. 'Why would I give a damn who's skirt he's chasing. I just want him to let me go!' The blush that hugged her cheeks spread all over her face as she pressed her tongue against his skin again; this time more forceful.  
  
"Are you okay?" the stranger's voice swam through the air. Vash nodded, the tears growing with every stroke of Meryl's tongue. "You know, it is getting late and there are still many things to do . . . so . . . I should get going."  
  
"No, don't leave," Vash proclaimed loudly as he immediately dropped Meryl on the dusty ground. "I don't want you to," he pouted, pouring his charm in to the small whimper that escaped his lips.  
  
"Sadly I must but don't fret, I have a feeling we shall be seeing each other soon," she raised her head to give a small wave to the furious woman sitting in the sand and the other woman who kept her screams of laughter hidden behind her hand.  
  
Vash frowned heavily. "Yes, fate has brought us together so it's only natural that we shall be seeing each other again real soon," he declared his hand holding his chin in a dramatic flare. He was caught up in himself he didn't even realize that the woman was halfway across the street, hurrying along her way.  
  
Meryl crossed her hands over her chest stubbornly. Perhaps it was a premonition or maybe it was jealousy or maybe . . . it didn't really matter what it was. All Meryl knew was that the more and more she saw of this woman, the more and more she didn't like her.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of their day had drained Meryl completely. After pouring the charm on real thick, she had managed to find them another room. Silently, she was happy that they were kicked out of the other building. At least here they had a shower and sufficient sleeping quarters. However, Meryl's favorite aspect was that they allowed Meryl and Millie to share a room while Vash got a single room to himself.  
  
Meryl let a small sigh of relief flow through her pursued lips. At least that took care of her lingering thoughts and lessened dangerous encounters. She wasn't quite sure of why she was smitten with the perverted, arrogant, and completely ridiculous gunman but she knew she was and the events of that morning didn't help her repress those awful notions that festered inside her mind.  
  
"Sempai! Come on! Please!" Millie shouted. The ironic part was that there was no need to shout since Meryl was sitting at the same table as her in that musty bar. Apparently the owner of the hotel didn't want them drinking there. 'Just as well,' Meryl thought. She really wasn't much in the mood for drinking heavily anyway.  
  
"I really don't think I should," Meryl said cautiously. "I'll deal with the drink I've got first."  
  
Millie frowned. "But you've barely touched your drink since we've gotten here."  
  
Of course her friend was right. By now the beer that sat in the large glass was hot and had lost all of the appealing factors it held when she bought it.  
  
Just then, a loud, joyous laughter deafened her ears. With a long sigh Meryl turned around and was met by the loud, rampaging Vash the Stampede. That horribly goofy tie had had wrapped around his head like a crown had finally made its appearance. She hid the amusing smirk that tickled her lips and glared at him.  
  
"Hello!" he half sang, half screamed.  
  
Meryl frowned deeper at him. "Do you have to be so loud?" she sighed in irritation.  
  
Vash tilted his head in a child-like way and then nodded. "What's the point in keeping quiet?"  
  
"I agree," Millie joined in, not quite sure what was being said for lack of any concentration. The devil's liquid had already found a nice place to rest in her stomach.  
  
Meryl scoffed at the two. "It doesn't matter what I say, does it? You'll both only team up against me!" With a dramatic flare, she stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Why can't you two act your age?"  
  
Vash busted out in giggles. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" he asked in that deep, I've-got-it-all-under-control voice. Millie laughed, not really understanding his question but still amused that Meryl was as worked up as she was.  
  
Millie pressed the cool jug against her lips again. It really was quite a sight. It was EXTREMELY obvious that Meryl had special feelings for Vash and she was quite sure he felt the same. However, it seemed as if nothing would change between the two of them. Some way or another they'd end up fighting, which was their odd way of flirting.  
  
Millie's ear perked up as Meryl yelled at Vash. Apparently he said something wrong again, which was nothing new to the group. Her way of dealing with him was cute. She was to proud to come right out and say she loved him, and he was holding back from her but from her last few months of observing the two of them it was pretty apparent. Now if only they would stop acting like children. ( A/N - That's so cute coming from Millie! )  
  
"I do NOT need you telling me what to do!" Vash yelled while dodging another blow from the upset insurance girl. "I'm a grown man damn it!"  
  
"If you were grown then why don't you come down from here and take a beating like a man?!" Meryl screamed, holding on to the pole she clenched in her fists. Millie chuckled. Now where did she get that from? Meryl was so silly.  
  
"As if any smart person would . . . shit! Stop it!" Vash pulled his body up in to another gravity defying ball as Meryl swung the pole at him again.  
  
"Get down here, broom head!"  
  
"As if!" he replied, sticking his tongue out at her.  
  
Millie couldn't repress her drunken laughter anymore. "Ha! Mr. Vash, you know what?"  
  
"What?!" he yelled, nearly receiving a fatal blow to the head. "Watch the hair!"  
  
"You look just like a piñata, just swinging up there like that!"  
  
She was right. Vash clung on to the chandelier for dear life as Meryl tried to knock him down. He couldn't help but laugh on the inside, even if he was the victim in this homicide. Something about seeing that spark light up in her eyes made him feel giddy. Perhaps it was because HE could make cool-headed Meryl Strife fire up in a rampaging blaze. No one else could do that. Sure, she'd get irritated but she'd never fume and rant the way she did for anyone else.  
  
"It's not like candy's gonna fall if you hit me so why don't you give up?!" he taunted her, mocking her sad attempts to hit him. There was no way she'd catch him with those slow swings of hers.  
  
Meryl lowered the pole and bite her bottom lip. It was clear that she was frustrated but didn't have any idea of how to express it. 'She sure is cute like that,' he mused to himself. His eyes trailed her small frame. Delicate and fiery. He wondered if she'd be the same way in the bed with him. Heh. Would he even survive a night in bed with her? 'Ah! What the hell?! Why am I thinking about Meryl in bed?! You're being a PERVERT!' he screamed to himself.  
  
"Stop leaving yourself open, you make it to easy when you do that!" Meryl yelled joyfully. Vash turned his head a little to late as the pole knocked him against the shoulder and he fell from the hanging light fixture to meet the floor. Thankfully ( A/N - mainly for our entertainment ) it wasn't the floor he hit first. With a loud gulp his eyes turned downward to face the eyes of his human pillow; their cool gray depths sent daggers through him. However, somewhere behind those dark orbs he saw a fire ablaze and for once, they didn't look mad.  
  
~*~  
  
End of Chapter 2! ^_^-  
  
*Laughs insanely* I'd like to thank everyone again for their WONDERFUL reviews!  
  
And I'd like to take a moment to thank Morlana for the AWESOME idea that they left in their review. *Winks* I will be using the cute picture moment, I'm just saving it for that perfect moment. ^_^- I never thought of looking in from Millie's perspective, thanks for reminding me that she is an important character as well. And if anyone has any idea than please tell me, I'll try to use everyone's ideas as well!  
  
Alright, now it's time to discuss business. For me, this was updating pretty quick. I only did that because so many people reviewed ( and again, THANKS! ). Reviews are like the anti-writers block for me. When I get so many nice reviews I can just feel the creativity flow. ( I've never kept a story up long enough to get 100+ reviews to that's my goal! ) I have three other fics I'm working on so I always update the story that gets the most attention first. So, keep reviewing and I'll continue to post as soon as I can. If not, then it'll just get lowered on the priority list. *Shrugs* Sorry, just kinda the way it works.  
  
LOVE AND PEACE! ^_^ 


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